Lil Kool Panther surges late at 21-1 to win the $353,927 West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park, giving sire Lil Kool Wagon his first graded stakes winner of the year. By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

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By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

GAINESVILLE, TX–APRIL 6, 2026–Lil Kool Wagon picked up his first graded stakes winner of 2026 on Saturday when Lil Kool Panther delivered a 21-1 upset in the $353,927 West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park.

A 21-1 outsider after posting the tenth-fastest qualifying time, Lil Kool Panther surged late to get up by a neck over fastest qualifier Tempting Lu, earning $166,346 for and victory that returned $44.00 21-1 odds.

Bred in Texas by Shane and Brooke Snow, Lil Kool Panther is out of Panthersprowlforcash, by Panther Mountain. He was a $15,000 purchase at the 2025 TQHA Yearling Sale and now races for Amparan Racing Stables, LLC. The colt is trained by Alberto Amparan and was ridden to victory by Jesse Lee Levario.

The victory gives Lil Kool Wagon his first stakes winner of the season and adds to a program that has quietly produced consistent results. From limited starters across 11 crops, the son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon has sired more than $4.4 million in earners, with an average nearing $34,000. He has also sired 31 black-type horses, representing an impressive 24 percent on his crop to race.

Lil Kool Panther now leads a group of nine runners by Lil Kool Wagon who have each surpassed $100,000 in earnings, including the following horses…
• Haul Your Wood SI 96 ($135,434)
1st Polk County D., 1st Iowa Stallion QH F., 3rd Iowa Stallion D.)

• Lil Perry Wagon SI 108 ($119,374)
2nd Gary Baber Memorial S., 3rd Sam Houston D.-G3)

• Lil Pete El Soruyo SI 106 ($119,265)
1st Terrace Hill S., 2nd Keokuk S.-G3, 2nd Golden Driller S., 2nd Cy-Hawk S.)

• Lil Black Wagon SI 94 ($113,973)
1st Jim Bader F., 3rd Iowa Stallion D. [R])

• Dashin D. Crocket SI 99 ($111,025)
1st Hawkeye F., 2nd Polk County D., 2nd Terrace Hill S., 3rd Jim Bader F.)

• Rm Okeys Wagon SI 107 ($109,886)
2nd Jim Bader F., 2nd Polk County D., 2nd Cyclone D., 2nd Iowa Stallion D.)

• Rakin In Jo SI 90 ($102,340)
1st Iowa Stallion Futurity, 1st Iowa Stallion D. [R], 2nd Polk County D. [R])

• Lil Stepper SI 93 ($102,277)
1st Polk County D., 1st Iowa Stallion D. [R], 2nd Iowa Stallion F. [R])

Lil Kool Wagon is a son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon, one of the sport’s leading sires with more than $44 million in progeny earnings.

His dam is the Grade 3 winner Little Kool Barbie SI 104 ($75,238), by Mr Jess Perry. She is the dam of 24 ROM, including 19 winners and eight black-type performers such as Little Kool Belle SI 102 ($144,996), Our Lady Wagon SI 102 ($57,285), Barbie Cartel SI 102 ($39,917), Little Eye Opener SI 110 ($35,288), Barbie Tales SI 92 ($26,942 at 2), and Stel Kool SI 96 ($17,531 in Mexico). She is also the granddam of RG2-placed Jess A Little Start SI 93 ($93,296), among others.

The second dam is AQHA Racing Champion Kool Kue Baby SI 118, by Gone To Man, who won 34 races and earned $783,519. A four-time Grade 1 winner, she is a sister to Grade 1 winner Gone Kool Man SI 109 ($493,683).

Kool Kue Baby is the dam of multiple stakes winners, including First Kool Baby SI 105 ($158,261), First N Kool SI 106 ($92,393), Separatist Baby SI 102 ($86,691), Lil Kool Barbie SI 104 ($75,238), and Kool Wagon SI 104 ($66,743). She is also the granddam of graded stakes winners Paint Me Perry SI 101 ($288,637) and Kool Country Man SI 105 ($221,142).

With a breakthrough graded winner now on his résumé this season, Lil Kool Wagon continues to build momentum as a proven sire of stakes winner.

"We purchased Lil Kool Wagon because he had the look of a sire, he sired honest, consistent runners, and had the stats to back it up. We were heartbroken when we lost him!" said Shane Snow. "The legacy of Lil Kool Wagon is that there is no magic cross; he improves almost every mare. Wins like this build on that legacy. We're so excited for Lil Kool Panther and all his connections!"

His 2026 breeding fee is set at $2,000, ICSI only. For breeding information, contact Shane or Brooke Snow at (432) 638-1620.

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